Pet dog ban inside Cubbon Park put on hold

The Horticulture department on Tuesday kept on hold its proposal to ban the entry of pet dogs inside Cubbon Park, which is one of the most pet-friendly open space in the city. The move comes after a public uproar including an objection from Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan under whose parliament constituency the lung space falls.

“Held a meeting with Horticulture Minister Munirathna concerning a proposal to prohibit the entry of pet dogs into Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park. The Horticulture department temporarily blocks the ban on pets. The Minister assured me that he would look into this matter,” P C Mohan tweeted, much to the delight of thousands of pet lovers.

The blanket ban on pets, he said, is against the Animal Welfare Board of India’s 2016 guidelines framed following a case in the Delhi High Court about dogs being allowed in public parks. “I hope for a conducive decision in the best interest of the public,” he said referring to the ban that was proposed citing an increase in complaints of pets dirtying the open space.

Citizens who frequent the park are of the view that a blanket ban was not an answer to the grievances raised by a section of the people. “A solution can be worked out within the framework of law. It can be done by penalising owners who do not carry the dog poop bin,” one of the walkers said.

The department’s proposal to prohibit entry of dogs first came to light in mid-June when the security guards started informing pet owners that the pets would not be allowed starting July 1. Such an ad hoc direction was apparently given by the higher-ups of the department without holding a public consultation.